The Prime Minister of Ukraine just wrapped up talks with the Turkish leader to establish peace and repatriation of Ukrainian territories recently occupied by Turkey.

These talks were conducted in the shadow of a much larger threat to security in the region - the advance of a neo-Roman Empire. Speculation amongst world religious leaders is that this is the beginning of the end, culminating in the 'Apocalypse' of Biblical note. They say that "if Israel reverts to Roman rule, the anti-Christ will rise and the world as we know it will come to an end."

The leaders of Ukraine and Turkey appeal to the entire global community to cooperate and forestall this potentially disastrous outcome.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: The bear breathes out his last chuckle.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: The Italian Republic sees little peace at work in recent Turko-Ukrainian relations. After all, was it not this month that Rostov fell to the Turkish horde? The Turkish attempts to seize the Eastern Black Sea and Volga region also discredit any idea of a mutually negotiated peace. For the clashes between Ukrainian and Turkish forces have been far more numerous and decisive than those between the Ukraine and the Italian Republic, even in this late date in the autumn of 1999.

We hold no credence with the claim that the world will end with the coming of the new millennium, nor do we subscribe to the belief that the world will perish should Israel be liberated from Muslim rule. This idea is unfounded, for the Pope himself, residing in the Vatican and surrounded by the loving embrace of Italy, denounces such an idea as "falsehood, intent on continuing the occupation of the Holy City of Jerusalem by the Turkish Empire, and preventing its liberation by the European forces led by Italy"

The President, on behalf of the Italian people, swears to combat the dual menaces of the east, and swears eternal peace with the Kingdom of Spain. Long may our peoples prosper, and forever may peace reign between our two realms.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: The deeply religious and Protestant remnants of Germany heeds your wise words Ukraine, but I fear the world's Catholics have been deceived by the False Prophet sitting high on Vatican Hill behind his papal bull preaching the false lies of the Anti-Christ.

I fear that Germany is fated to experience great tribulations under the arduous hands of the Anti-Christ's forces.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: The Italian Republic, a secular and democratic state, hereby denounces Germany. By insulting the religion of many of their own people, they renounce all rights to government of the territory they currently illegally occupy.

The President of the Italian Republic reaffirms the dedication of the government of Italy to the principle of religious freedom. Catholic and Orthodox, Protestant and Jew alike will have their right to worship as they please protected. Furthermore, despite our conflict with Turkey, the Muslim citizens of the associated states of Italy will be protected from persecution, and their rights shall be upheld.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: Spain stands by the Italian Republic, both as Catholic brothers, and Allies at large.

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: Damn Conquistadores !*#!^

Does the Archbishop of Canterbury have anything to add? Or must we wait for Her Highness to bid us taa-taa?!

16 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: Ah, I thought that only the Italo-Spanish Alliance had remembered the glory days of the Spanish Empire! Truly, Spain has risen to heights unseen since the Age of Exploration, and it is quite generous of you to concede that their meteoric rise is truly impressive.

17 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 1999: As has been the case in the past, Britain rejects the presumed authority and infallibility of Rome and her allies. While a small, maritime nation, little interested in the madness reigning on the continent, Britain cannot stand idly by while a muderous horde, driven by sectarian malice, overruns the peaceful population of Germany and Poland. This scourge, despite its strength, must be blunted. Parliament, therefore, has agreed to the denunciation of Rome and its allies, and will join with its opponents in Ukraine, Turkey, Germany and Poland to save Europe from certain ruin. God Save the King!

18 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2000: The Italian Republic has deemed it prudent to close the Suez Canal to all British, Ukrainian, Turkish, German, and Polish shipping.

19 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2000: The Turkish are peeved that we will no longer be able to import tea, grain, lederhosen, and sausages. PEEVED I SAY!

19 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2000: LOL

20 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2000: It is clear that the closure of the Suez Canal played a large part in the liberation of Moldova from Turkish forces in the spring. Deprived of their tea, they surrendered in droves, the Turkish Army of Moldova vanishing overnight.

20 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2000: Can't fight without caffeine.

22 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2001: I didn't think that I had stationed any troops in Scandinavia, but what else could explain the recent Nordic offensive launched by the Ukraine? Surely they do not covet the lands of their ally?

22 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2001: Israel will be fallen within the year, the Turkish homeland is about to go the way of all flesh - times they are a changin'!

23 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2001: Congrats Italy. You've managed to convince everyone to fight each other instead of you. I didn't think it was possible for a solo win on this map, but you'll get it.

23 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2001: Definitely well played.

23 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2001: Says the person who senseless took Sweden from me

24 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2001: ...which I used to support your defence in Hamburg....

24 Jan 15 UTC

Autumn, 2001: An interesting variant on this game would include nuclear weapons. Would anyone play that if someone wrote the code? If so, what sort of attacks and defense should be allowed?

25 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2002: This was my first game of Mod Dip. Thanks for a great game everyone!

25 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2002: Thanks to everyone for a great first game of Modern Dip. I'd love to see all of you again, although I suspect I'll be taking a break for a bit.

25 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2002: I'm off on holidays on Wednesday, so I've been weaning myself off my Dip habit. So, I'll be taking a break for a bit as well, though I hope to catch up with some of you one of these days in the not too distant future :)

25 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2002: Nuclear modern would be insane. Would all powers have them, or only Britain, France, and Russia? The latter would be more realistic, the first, more balanced.

I saw a few different nuke rules for other maps somewhere. In one, armies holding would shoot nukes down over the territory they occupied. If an attack succeeded, I think it destroyed the SC and rendered the territory impassible for two years, and it took 2 SCs to build and one to maintain, preventing people from amassing too many. It seemed the most balanced of the options I saw.

26 Jan 15 UTC

Spring, 2002: It would certainly be extremely easy to destroy one another, as you could kill a nation across the map and annihilate them, but it could be pretty cool if it was balanced somehow.

27 Jan 15 UTC

Good game guys, and congratulations to Italy

27 Jan 15 UTC

Congratulations to Italy. Well done!

27 Jan 15 UTC

Thanks everyone. Spain, I'm grateful that you stayed loyal to the alliance, but I almost would have preferred that you stab me. I was clearly going to solo, and it seems against the spirit of the game not to pull out all the stops to prevent a solo attempt.

The same goes for the rest of you - at the end, I don't know if there was much you could have done, but taking each other's SCs only helped me, and I don't know if any of you tried to get Spain to attack me.